Paul earns spot on main debate stage after being in danger of elimination

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky will be on the prime-time stage for the next Republican presidential debate on Tuesday, sponsor CNN announced Sunday.

Donald Trump, who’s spent much of the primary race atop polls of the party’s crowded 2016 field, again will be at the center podium for the debate in Las Vegas. He’ll be flanked by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Rounding out the nine slots for the main debate will be Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

For Christie, the session will be a return to the main event after failing to make the prime-time stage in a Nov. 10 Fox Business Network debate. Christie recently has seen his poll numbers rise in crucial New Hampshire as he barnstorms the state with a series of town hall meetings and retail politics.

Paul was in danger of being eliminated from the prime-time debate, which will air at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The decision was reached after a Fox News poll released hours earlier showed Paul with 5 percent support in Iowa, the network said.

“In the light of new polling released this morning and in the spirit of being as inclusive as possible, CNN has decided to include Sen. Rand Paul in the primetime debate,” the network said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former New York Gov. George Pataki will debate in an earlier forum set to air at 5:30 p.m., CNN said on its website.